Your current location

Explorer Antony Jinman aims to inspire with his solo South Pole success story

Explorer Antony Jinman aims to inspire with his solo South Pole success story

Issue date: 05 March 2014

Date: 18 March 2014 at 18:30Venue: 2D67, Frenchay Campus, University of the West of England

Polar explorer Antony Jinman will tell the inspiring story of his recent 730 mile, 46 day solo expedition to the geographic South Pole at UWE Bristol. Antony's lecture is free of charge and takes place at 18.30 pm on 18 March as part of National Science and Engineering Week 2014.

He arrived at the South Pole on 16 January 2014, in time to realise a lifelong ambition and celebrate the anniversary of his boyhood hero Captain Scott reaching the pole on 17 January.

This feat means Antony is only the 3rd Briton to have skied unsupported from Hercules Inlet to the geographic South Pole, and also to have skied over 500 miles across the Arctic Ocean to the geographic North Pole. His latest expedition was a pioneering educational project linking schools not only with Antony while he was in Antarctica, but also with scientists and polar educators from around the world.

To get there he battled through injury and fatigue, facing some of the harshest weather conditions on earth. His biggest challenge was to keep mentally strong and face the rigorous daily routines of skiing an average of 15 miles a day, pulling 120 kilos, walking into a constant headwind.

He said on reaching his goal, “I am over the moon to be here on the same day as my boyhood hero and ecstatic to have now reached both the North and South poles. I am so grateful to everyone who has helped me to make this happen.

“For the past three years I have been developing a school outreach programme, Education Through Expeditions, communicating my passion for expedition to children, hoping to inspire them as I was by my hero Captain Scott.”

Antony carried electronic equipment designed to allow him to communicate with schools following the expedition. Each day Antony answered questions from the pupils about his injuries, climate change and historical events.

In July 2011 Antony was awarded an Honorary Degree Doctor of Education from UWE for his contribution to education and the development of his Education Through Expeditions social enterprise.

In his lecture, Antony will reflect on the differences between expeditions to the North and South Poles, and how technology can be used to bring the outside world into classrooms. He will also talk about how ETE continues to work with UWE to bring fieldwork and research projects into schools.

He admits that he struggled throughout his education, finding school subjects dull and boring, and dreamt of being outdoors. He joined the Royal Navy, but spurred on by a snowboarding accident, decided to pursue his dream of becoming an explorer.

He says, “My first trip to the Arctic was the 2007 Baffin Island Expedition. I then went to Greenland and in 2010 took part in the ultimate challenge, to reach the geographic North Pole.

“During that expedition myself and two team mates skied, snow-shoed (and sometimes swam) over 500 miles from Cape Discovery to the geographic North Pole in just 51 days.

“Over the past seven years I have been travelling in the Arctic, learning about the Inuit people, the Arctic environment, the animals that live there and documenting how it is affected due to climate change. I have been shocked at the stories I have heard and what I have witnessed travelling through the same landscapes over time through this period.”